In simple terms, this error indicates a disconnect between your bootable device and your system’s UEFI settings. This typically happens during installations or repairs of Windows. By ensuring proper partitioning, file formats, and BIOS configurations, you can resolve this issue quickly. Let’s resolve the issue!
Things to Know Before Proceeding:
It’s important to understand that UEFI has largely replaced the traditional BIOS in modern systems. Legacy mode (or CSM) is included in UEFI systems to support older operating systems and hardware. This guide will help you determine your system’s current boot mode and make necessary changes to resolve the EFI boot error.
How to Check if Your BIOS is Legacy or UEFI from Windows:
If Legacy mode (often referred to as Compatibility Support Module or CSM) is enabled in your UEFI firmware settings, your system is mimicking traditional BIOS behavior and typically uses an MBR (Master Boot Record) partitioning style.If UEFI mode is active in your firmware settings, your system can utilize the GPT (GUID Partition Table) partitioning style, which is more advanced than MBR and offers additional features.
Since we’re encountering an issue with installing Windows, it’s likely related to Legacy/BIOS settings. Let’s check the details first and then proceed with a fresh start.
Check for Hardware Specifications:
How to Check Your Current Partition Format (GPT or MBR)
Once everything is verified, you can start the installation process smoothly. This guide covers all possible causes of the error, so follow it carefully to fix any related issues.
1. Convert MBR to GPT Using Windows Command Prompt:
If your system supports UEFI as mentioned above, you must convert the partition style from MBR to GPT if its current state is MBR. Follow these steps before enabling UEFI mode from BIOS:
2. Enable UEFI Mode for GPT Compatibility
Once we have converted our disk from MBR to GPT, to resolve the “Could not locate efi\boot\bootx64.efi” error, it’s crucial to ensure that your system is set to UEFI mode when using the GPT partition style. Be sure to select it to allow UEFI to read the (GPT) disk partition style. Enable UEFI Mode for GPT Compatibility and Check UEFI Support: As we convert our partition from MBR to GPT to resolve the “Could not locate efi\boot\bootx64.efi” error, it’s important to make sure your system is set to UEFI mode from BIOS, as mentioned above Navigate to Boot Options in BIOS/UEFI:
3. Use the Correct ISO for Your System
Just as we verified the UEFI-related settings on your motherboard in the first step, now we will verify the Windows ISO file and recreate it to ensure there are no issues. In most cases, when we download files from third-party websites, these issues can arise. Sometimes, it’s also due to improper bootable configurations. We will use the Official Windows Media Creation Tool to create a bootable USB drive again. This way, we ensure that the ISO file we’ve downloaded is official and correct.
4. Still Facing the Error? Fix GPT/MBR and UEFI Issues
Many users get stuck when using a GPT-formatted USB. They enable UEFI from the BIOS but still face issues because their partition is still MBR, which causes the problem. In this case, disable UEFI in BIOS, insert the MBR bootable USB, and follow the steps under Repair Windows → Troubleshoot → Advanced → Command Prompt. Using the commands mentioned in Step 1 can help solve the “Could not locate efi\boot\bootx64.efi” issue. After converting the disk, restart your PC, insert the GPT-formatted bootable USB, enable UEFI again from BIOS, and you’re all set. If you encounter any further issues, feel free to reach out at zubyan@appuals.com. Good luck!
